A Glossary of Satellite TV Terms and Definitions

Ah yes – satellite TV – another new technology. And all those terms and acronyms that you have absolutely no idea what they mean. Well, help is on the way…in fact it’s here now! To help clear the fog, following is a list of the more commonly used terms revolving around satellite TV.

• Access card
  An access card, also known as a smart card, is a removable credit-card-sized plastic card included with each satellite receiver. It identifies each receiver and tells your program provider your Pay-Per-View (PPV) usage each month.

• Additional Outlet (A/O)
  An additional outlet lets you connect more than one receiver to the dish, allowing other televisions in the house to be on different programs than the one connected to the primary receiver.

• Audio/Video (A/V) Jacks
  The A/V output jacks at the rear of a satellite receiver provide a superior picture and sound to your TV, VCR and home theater system. Three jacks provide stereo sound: one for the video, one for the right channel sound and one for the left channel sound.

• Azimuth
  The azimuth is the side-to-side adjustment of a satellite dish from true north, along the horizon, to the DBS satellite, measured in degrees.

• Bandwidth
  The bandwidth is the complete range of frequencies over which a circuit or electronic system is allocated to function, measured in MHz.

• Bit
  Bit is short for binary digit. It’s the smallest unit of data in a digital system, with a value of either 0 or 1. A group of bits, such as 8-bits or 16-bits, compose a byte.

• Check Switch
  Running a check switch procedure starts a series of tests in DISH network receivers which confirms that a good signal connection between the receiver and the multi-sat dish switch exists. At the end of the test, a list of which satellites you can receive is displayed.

• Clarke Belt
  Named after its founder Arthur C. Clarke, the Clarke Belt is an orbit used by satellites at a height of 22,250 miles, in which satellites make an orbit in 24 hours, yet remain in a fixed position relative to the earth’s surface.

• Coax Cable
  Coax or coaxial cable is the standard type of cable used by all satellite TV technicians. Coax cable carries the signal from the dish to the satellite receiver and on to your VCR and TV.

• Direct Broadcast Satellite (DBS)
  DBS is the signal frequency range (11.70-12.40ghz) intended for direct TV broadcast by satellite TV program providers.

• DSS
  DSS is an acronym for Digital Satellite System. It’s also a common name used to refer to a DirecTV satellite system or component.

• Digital Compression
  Digital compression is a process of translating video images into a digital code. Its purpose is to take up less transmission space than the original signal would have, allowing more channels per satellite transponder.

• DirecTV System
  A DirecTV System, trademarked for the consumer hardware and created to receive DirecTV programming, includes a dish (standard size is 18"), a remote control and the DirecTV Receiver.

• DirecWay
  DirecWay is the new name for the DirecPC satellite internet access system offered by Hughes Networking. Two connection types are offered. A dial-return-system (DRS) uses your existing dial-up service to provide a connection to the internet for all out going data and the satellite is used to route all returning data via satellite. The DRS systems offer a very nice Internet browsing experience at about half the upfront and monthly cost. The satellite-return-system (SRS) uses no phone lines after the initial setup and provides a 24/7 connection.

• DISH Network System
  DISH Network System, trademarked for the consumer hardware and created to receive DISH Network programming, includes a dish (standard size is a 20" multi-sat dish, called DISH 500), a remote control, and the DISH Network Receiver.

• DISH 500
  A DISH 500 is a multi-satellite dish used to receive DISH Network programming. Some programming for DISH Network is only available if you have a DISH 500 dish or a 2nd single satellite dish pointed to the 110 satellite for DISH Network. The DISH 500 dish is used to receive simultaneous satellite signals from the 119 and 110 satellite slots.

• Dolby Digital/AC-3 Compatible
  Dolby Digital provides 6 independent sound track channels through the optical output jack. When connected to your AC3 compatible home theater audio setup, this connection provides Dolby Digital Surround Sound (when Dolby Digital is part of the programming being viewed).

• Dolby Pro Logic
  Dolby Pro Logic (known as Dolby Surround in the theaters) is based on the use of an amplitude-phase matrix. This is a method of encoding four channels of information into two tracks of stereo media and then decoding them back into four channels for playback.

• DTH
  DTH, or Direct-To-Home, is the official term used by the Federal Communications Commission to refer to the satellite television and broadcasting industries.

• Dual LNB
  A dual LNB has two coax connections. You can operate up to two satellite receivers with a dual LNB.

• Echostar
  The company that owns and operates DISH Network.

• Electronic Program Guide (EPG)
  A chronological listing of all available programming covering an extended time period (typically 36 hours or more). This listing displays on your TV screen.

• Elevation
  The elevation is the upward tilt of a satellite dish antenna required to aim it at the communications satellite, measured in degrees. When aimed at the horizon, the elevation angle is zero.

• Feed Horn
  A feed horn collects the signals at the focus of the satellite dish and channels them to the LNB.

• Geostationary
  Geostationary refers to satellites which orbit the Earth 22,300 miles above the Equator and rotate at the same relative speed and direction as the Earth's surface, therefore appearing stationary.

• Hard Reset
  A hard reset is the same as rebooting a computer.

• HDTV
  High Definition Television (HDTV) is a digital television format, which combines high-resolution video and theater-like sound to create a movie theater-quality TV viewing experience.

• Interactive TV
  Interactive TV lets you use the enclosed remote control to access up-to-the-minute news, sports, financial information, weather, get program trivia, respond to free offers and shop, all while you watch TV.

• IRD (Integrated Receiver Decoder)
  The IRD is the official name for the satellite receiver, which has a built-in decoder for unscrambling subscription channels.

• Kbps
  Kbps stands for kilobits per second and refers to the speed of a signal transmission.

• L-Band
  An L-Band is the frequency range from 0.5 to 1.5 GHz. All satellite TV systems use this frequency (950 to 1450 MHz) to carry the satellite signal from the dish to the receiver.

• LNBF
  An LNBF (usually called an LNB) is a Low Noise Block Converter with Integrated Feed. It amplifies received signals and converts them from microwaves to lower L-band frequency signals which are then sent along a cable to the satellite receiver.

• Matrix Switch
  By using a Matrix switch you can add more than two receivers to a dual LNB.

• MPEG2
  MPEG2 is a video compression method. Compression is used to combine several programs into one satellite transponder.

• Multi-satellite dish
  It's often necessary for consumers to use a multi-satellite system, such as the DirecTV Oval Dish or DISH Networks DISH 500 because some programming extends beyond the satellite provider's "core" programming, like HDTV programs, and local channels in many areas.

• Multi-satellite switch
  To accommodate the multi-sat dishes offered by DirecTV and DISH Network, you must use a multi-sat switch. You can’t intermix DirecTV and DISH Network switches. DirecTV controls a multi-sat switch with a 22kHz signal and DISH Network use a digital signal to communicate with their switches.

• Must Carry
  Effective at the beginning of 2002, the FCC established a condition that if a satellite service provider is going to carry one local network in a specific market place or DMA then they must carry all local networks in that market place.

• National Standards and Testing Program(NSTP)
  The NSTP is a program created to provide basic installation training to satellite TV install technicians.

• NTSC
  NTSC stands for the National Television Standards Committee, a video standard established by the United States (RCA/NBC) and adopted by numerous other countries.

• National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative (NRTC)
  This organization provides telecommunications services to rural electric and rural telephone cooperatives. If you live in a NRTC district you cannot use DirecTV services unless you go through your local NRTC office.

• OTA (Over the Air)
  This is the acronym commonly used to describe standard television broadcast signals received by a rooftop antenna, sometimes called off-air.

• Orbital Slots
  Orbital slots refer to the location of satellites around the globe. Their are 6 main slots used for DBS TV.

• Pay Per View (PPV)
  A pay-per-view event may be purchased separately from any package or subscription. This could include a movie, special event, sporting event, or an adult program.

• Parental Lockout
  Parental Lockout allows users to set a password to control access to programming based on channel, rating or content.

• Pixelization
  Pixelization occurs due to errors in decoding the MPEG bit stream where areas or patches of color appear instead of the higher resolution image. It might be described as the picture "breaking up". The patches of blocks appear and disappear, and can happen anywhere on the screen but usually are "part" of the image "in motion". Pixelization most often occurs during rain fade or if the satellite system has too low a signal strength to operate properly.

• PVR (Personal Video Recorder)
  A PVR satellite receiver has a built in hard drive for digitally recording satellite television programs, with 35-hour recording capability and two internal satellite receivers. Dual tuners allow the user to record one program while watching another or record two programs at the same time.

• Quad LNBF
  A combination LNBF and multi-sat switch component for DISH 500 systems can accommodate up to 4 DISH Network receivers.

• Rain fade
  Raid fade is the loss of signal from the satellite during a heavy rain, which happens more or less to all DBS systems.

• Rating Limit:
  The rating limit is set by the customer using the main menu. When a system lock is active, this limit controls the viewing of programs that have been assigned a rating level.

• Remote Extender
  A remote extender is an after-market device that allows you to use an Infrared (IR) remote to control a satellite receiver from another room.

• RG-59
  An RG-59 is a common coax cable used in many homes for the last 40 years.

• RG-6:
  An RG-6 coax cable is recommended for digital satellite TV installations. RG-6 is a larger-size cable than the lower-grade RG-59 cable found in some homes.

• R/F connectors
  The R/F connectors are the output/input screws on connections for coaxial cable. They won’t provide stereo from the satellite receiver to the TV or stereo.

• S-Video Jack
  Some televisions have an input for an S-Video cable. This is better than audio/video jacks or R/F connectors. It is for the video, not the sound.

• Satellite Dish
  A satellite dish is used to collect signals from a satellite in orbit and focus them to the front of the dish where a feed horn collects them and passes the signals on to the LNB to be amplified and sent to a satellite receiver.

• SBCA
  The SBCA (Satellite Broadcasting Communication Association) is an organization of satellite TV manufacturers, program providers, distributors and dealers. They are the leading voice for the satellite industry in congress and all across the U.S.

• Solar Outage
  Solar outages occur when a satellite dish is looking at a satellite, and the sun passes behind the satellite and within the field of view of the dish antenna. Solar outages occur during the spring and fall as the sun moves up and down the sky during the equinox. The outages only last a few minutes for a few days a year.

• Splitter
  A splitter is a passive device (one with no active electronic components) which distributes a television signal carried on a cable in two or more paths and sends it to a number of receivers simultaneously.

• Spot Beam
  A spot beam is a satellite transmission that is focused on a specific area within the footprint, or broadcast area, of the satellite. Both DISH Network and DirecTV use spot beams to increase the capacity of channels they can provide, thus allowing the broadcast of more local networks.

• SW-21, SW-44, SW-64
  These are all multi-sat switches used by DISH Network systems. The first number refers to the number of satellite input connections and the second number indicates how many receivers that switch can accommodate.

• Transponder
  A transponder is a satellite component that receives, modulates, amplifies, and retransmits a signal. More than one television or audio channel can be transmitted over a signal transponder using MPEG compression.

• Twin 500 LNB
  A twin 500 LNB is a combination of an LNBF and a multi-sat switch component for DISH 500 systems, accommodating up to 2 DISH Network receivers.

• UHF Remote
  A UHF (Ultra High Frequency) remote control can operate the receiver from another room, unlike the IR (Infra Red) remote which needs to be pointed at the receiver.

So there you have it! And now that you have a good understanding of the terminology, you can go to a satellite TV provider and discuss – with knowledge – your satellite TV needs.

About The Author

Gareth Marples is a successful freelance writer providing tips and advice for consumers purchasing satellite tv dishes, reseller hosting and Verizon DSL company. His numerous articles offer moneysaving tips and valuable insight on typically confusing topics.

The "Glossary of Satellite TV Terms & Definitions" reprinted with permission.

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